Don’t rush to judgment

Within hours of her arrest, she was taken to hospital suffering back pain. The pain she was enduring was, in fact, her liver in a state of swelling and acute malfunction, flooding LynnAnn’s brain with deadly mind-destroying ammonia and enzymes, a condition known as hepatic encephalopathy. If untreated, it is fatal.

Upon being released on bail, my wife lay in bed, sick and in pain. We were unaware she was slowly dying from acute liver failure until she had total hepatic failure on Dec. 16 — rushed to hospital where she stayed in acute care for the next six days. She was only hours from death, but thanks to the aggressive treatment and great staff at the Health Sciences Centre, she pulled through.

This whole ordeal has left her with greatly reduced mental capacity (a lot like Alzheimer’s disease) and extreme memory loss, both short and long term.

LynnAnn was physically sick, we just didn’t know it until it almost killed her.

Public attacks were swift

The public was lightning-fast in crucifying this sweet, caring, young girl, when in reality she was knocking on death’s door and crying for help.

Hyper ammonia levels in her brain reduced her ability to reason beyond the level of a five-year-old child.

LynnAnn’s liver was never suspected in years past because she is a non-drinker and non-smoker.

LynnAnn is at home under 24 hour care by me and is improving slowly with promise.

Of course she is scared after learning what she is accused of doing. Scared like a five-year-old child.

I had promised to marry this girl years ago and I fulfilled that promise last weekend with the help of our great mayor, Dennis O’Keefe.

I ask one constitutional favour from the people of St. John’s.

Please allow my LynnAnn a fair and just trial based on all the evidence according to Canadian law and provisions within our Canadian Charter pertaining to her diseased brain condition, now treated and reversed.

She is truly an angel.

Stephen D. Redgrave

St. John’s

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